


Hunter and Prey

by Feral_Female



Category: Torchwood
Genre: AU, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Monsters, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-12 08:50:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9064777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feral_Female/pseuds/Feral_Female
Summary: Wow, we’re up to story number five for Jack and Ianto! How cool is that?!This fifth story in my Torchwood world picks up a few weeks after "Secret Agent Man”. In this tale, our beloved Captain, the team’s factotum, and the Torchwood computer expert travel to a private hunting lodge in the woodlands of Brechfa Forest to meet up with an old friend of Ianto’s and investigate a series of mysterious disappearances. We’ll also get to meet an OC from one of my Marvel Universe fan fictions in this story, and I’m tickled to bits to be able to weave him into my Torchwood world!Starting with this story I’ll be posting new chapters on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This story – as all of mine do - takes place before CoE. There may be some small liberties taken from time to time with references to the show and its timelines. Since I write M/M romance for a living, these Torchwood tales will be character driven with great attention to Jack and Ianto's continually growing and shifting relationship. That said, there will also be some alien/monster action to keep the guys busy when they're out of bed. I hope you enjoy my take on this amazing world and these two incredible men.





	1. Hunter and Prey - Chapter One - Songs in the Key of Alien Life

**Hunter and Prey**

**Chapter One**

**Songs in the Key of Alien Life**

**Jack**

(Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.)

 

He repeated the lyrics again.

“ _Pa ham mae dicter, O Myfanwy, Yn llenwi'th lygaid duon ddi?"_.” I stared at Ianto standing under a swaying street lamp. He smiled in that secretive way he and Gwen do after they’ve been chatting in Welsh about something - I suspect it’s usually me - and I overhear it as I walk by. Generally, I give them a dark look, they giggle with their heads together, and I stalk off wondering what they were sniggering about behind my back. Drives me _nuts_ when they do it but I refuse to let them know it pushes my buttons. “It means, ‘Why is it anger, O Myfanwy, That fills your eyes so dark and clear?’”

I tried to pronounce the words that were flowing out of that dark alley, but my American accent butchered the poetic language brutally. I felt a twinge of envy for the Lyricant we were tracking through Cardiff. “Damn. I can’t seem to get my lips around that.”

“That’s not the first time I’ve heard you say that,” Ianto commented.

“Oh ho! Unflinching sexual banter with nary a blush. I think that might take our relationship to a whole new plateau.”

He gave me a smile that held all sorts of sexual promise. “Really? Shall we start picking out china patterns? Drapery maybe?”

“ _And_ sarcasm. My buttons are fair to bursting.” I stepped up to stand in front of him, our chests nearly brushing but not quite, our noses tip to tip.

“Are they really? Let me feel.” His eyes now held a fire that would bloom into an inferno if I touched him in any way. He lowered the tranquilizer gun, looked around the deserted street, and palmed my cock with his free hand. A groan escaped me. “Damn, your buttons _are_ strained.”

Gwen’s voice exploded into our ears. “Hel- _lo!_ Commlinks are _open_ thank you very much! Sweet Christ, do you two _never_ get enough of each other’s dicks?”

“Thank you, Gwen, I was about to cough discreetly into my earpiece,” Owen tossed out.

“I didn’t think you knew what the word ‘discreet’ meant, Owen,” Tosh said getting a loud snort from Gwen.

Ianto’s cheeks grew rosy. “Annnnnnnnnnnnd there’s the blush,” I chuckled at my lover’s expense.

Agent Jones mumbled under his breath as he entered the alley we knew the Lyricant was hiding in. I followed my newest agent, chuckling to myself. The alley was murky, as they are all, but open on the other end. My three senior agents were coming around the block to meet us. Between them, Ianto, and I, we would pin the Lyricant down, pump a tranquilizer into it, and then place it back into its craft and send it home.

Even this far away one could hear the old Welsh song floating on the cool Cardiff air. I let Ianto take the lead, content to admire the way his suit jacket accentuated his shoulders as we passed back doors illuminated by lone bulbs. There was no real danger for my boy or the others or I would have taken the lead.

 Lyricant’s are a peaceful, if somewhat bumbling race, that travel through space collecting songs to add to the Universal Musical Registry. Yes, there is such a place. I’d been there a time or two with a certain Doctor. I highly recommend visiting the registry if you’re flying by in your TARDIS. I shook off the memory of those trips and a few others with a handsome and sexually adventurous time lord. _Back to the Lyricant, Jack_. Right. So, the Lyricant have no sense of direction and therefore are easily lost during their travels, despite having a navigation system. They also can’t resist our music even though they’ve been told that they shouldn’t visit our planet. I couldn’t blame them. Who could pass by Prince or Bowie? This would be the fifty-fourth one Torchwood had personally blasted back into space.

A soft emerald glow behind a dumpster told us where the Lyricant was hidden. We all gathered around the dumpster, guns dangling down by our sides, as the jade-colored, bird-like alien sang on about Myfanwy and her dark eyes.

“Sorry about this.” I popped off a shot and the dart embedded in the Lyricant’s long neck. The feathered being closed its beak and crumpled to the dirty ground. Hearing sniffles, I glanced over to find my team crying softly.

“Such a beautiful voice it has,” Owen coughed while scrubbing at his eyes.

“My gran sounded just like that when she sang that song,” Ianto mumbled, turning from me and the others to hide his tears. Gwen and Tosh were crying so hard they were unable to speak. And there I stood, staring stupidly at all the sniveling.

“Did I not tell you to alter the frequency of your commlinks?”

“ _No!_ ” All four shouted at once.

“Oops, my bad. The song of the Lyricant always hits humans hard. Well, next time you’ll know.” I gathered up the bird creature, cradled it like a child, and then walked off, eager to get back to the Hub and get this fellow into his egg-shaped craft and back into space. The snifflers followed behind, coughing, and blowing noses.

After laying the Lyricant into the back of the SUV, we headed back to base and then gathered on the roof. Our singing guest had started to come back around. It settled comfortably into its ship, covered a yawn with its flowing wing, and then sang us a final song before the top half of its vessel closed. We dried our tears as the ship rose unsteadily and then rocketed out of sight.

I turned to look at my team, thinking to suggest we order some pizza when a short buzz sounded from my phone, the tone signaling a call coming into the secure lines. I pulled out my cell, opened the line, and turned the phone toward the others. A glowing hologram, as tall as I am, appeared. It was a lean, young man, under thirty I’d guess, with a long but attractive face and his hair in one of the undercut styles all the hep cats were wearing. I had no idea who the man was or why he was calling Torchwood on one of our emergency lines. I glanced at my team and saw recognition on Ianto’s face.

“Hello, you’ve reached Torchwood. How can we help you?” I asked the wavering image.

“My name is Chadwick Valentine and I’m trying to reach Ianto Jones. Is he still a member? It’s important that I speak with him,” the young man replied, heavy Cockney flavoring his speech. Ianto stepped forward, smiling weakly at the shimmering hologram being projected from my cell.

I love Tosh’s little inventions and this new one was a winner for sure. Any time someone rang us up now, I could simply pull up a holographic image of the caller from their Skype call memory banks. Sure, that might be in that gray area dealing with invasion of privacy but when you’re in charge of keeping the world safe from aliens, you lived your life in the gray zone.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re only hope.”

“Can we not do that?” I asked of Owen, who had the good grace to look chagrined. Every time I heard that line now I thought of John Hart. I’m sure Ianto did as well. I tried to keep reminders of my ex-lovers on the down low if at all possible. 

“Chadwick, it’s been some time,” Ianto said. He appeared to be more than a little tense.

“I know, and I wouldn’t have rung you up if things weren’t in a bit of a mess. Any chance you can break free and meet me at Fenwick Lodge? It’s a private hunting club on the outskirts of the Brechfa Forest. Guests are turning up missing, mate.”

“Maybe you should call the police,” I interjected into the terse call.

“I would, but this isn’t any ordinary type of missing person’s cases. I can feel something moving in the night,” Chadwick replied with assurance. “I’ve developed a sense about otherworldly things and this has the stench of dark beasts written all over it.”

I looked at our newest agent/coffee boy. “Does this man know about the world we move in?”

“He has some knowledge of mythos and the beasts that inhabit it, yes, Sir.” Ah, so our factotum had returned to handle business. That was when I knew Ianto was looking at something he had hoped to keep at arm’s length. He’d been slowly growing less rigid since we had become an item or whatever term you wanted to apply to us. I hate labels. Ianto’s stiffness piqued me in all kinds of ways.

“Okay then, we’ll head to the woods. Expect us in three hours, Mr. Valentine.” I severed the call after getting a curt nod that sent Chadwick’s limp-looking mohawk over his long nose. “Who’s coming?”

“I am,” Ianto immediately stated.

“I’d love to but Rhys and I are spending the weekend with his family. Picking out napkins for the wedding.” Gwen made a face of pure disgust.

“I’m out. I’ve got a medical convention in London this weekend,” Owen piped up. I looked at Toshiko.

“Sure, I’d love to spend the weekend in the woods being pursued by some sort of monster,” Tosh said with a wobbly smile. “Beats shaving my legs and watching ‘Downton Abbey’ reruns.”

“Okay, let’s go home and pack some outdoor gear and meet back here in an hour. Ianto, I’d like a word with you.”

He inclined his head and we dispersed, leaving the roof to the stars, the moon, and pretty girls named Myfanwy.

 

 (Lyrics and translation for Myfanwy courtesy of http://www.celticartscenter.com/Songs/Welsh/Myfanwy.html)

**To be continued…**


	2. Hunter and Prey - Chapter Two - Specters

**Hunter and Prey**

**Chapter Two**

**Specters**

**Ianto**

(Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.)

 

Jack was not a man to let things ride. Unless it had to do with feelings then that could drag on for bloody ever. He cornered me in my flat as I was stuffing our clothes into a bag. I knew he was behind me, staring, probably propped against the doorframe looking coolly nonchalant. I rolled up a shirt of his and crammed it violently into the overnight bag. That was when he closed the distance.

“Talk to me about this man Chadwick.” He reached into the duffel bag and removed his balled-up shirt, a dark blue one. “It’s obvious there’s history. Were you and he lovers?”

“No,” I stated firmly. “I’ve told you that there was no man before you and there will be no man after you.” I grimaced at the tone of my words. Jack merely cocked an eyebrow while folding his shirt neatly. “I’m sorry.” The apology sounded hollow. I turned from the packing and the man who held my heart. “Chadwick used to work in a pub around the corner from Torchwood One in London.”

“Okay, so why does a barkeep have access to our secure lines?” He asked. I went to the window. Rain beat upon the pane. “And why is this man upsetting you so?”

“He and Lisa were close, best mates actually. Seeing him…it brings back things that I continue to try to bury but never seem to be able to.”

“Ah.” He walked to me, his hand coming to rest on my right shoulder. “Ianto, it’s okay to talk about her.”

I flung a dark look at him over my shoulder. “Really? Since when? The last time I mentioned her - kissing her -  before that whole mess in the country you looked at me as if you wanted nothing more than to slice out my tongue.”

I saw the shift of emotions on his handsome face. His breath left him on a rush and his fingers tightened on my shoulder. “Things were too raw then. Too fresh.”

I returned my attention to the rain pouring down onto Cardiff. “They’re always raw for me, deep inside. I betrayed the man I… right, well I betrayed _you_ because I loved her. I’m not sure how to handle that. It keeps coming up at the worst times. Unexpectedly, her memory crops up or someone from the past appears like a specter and the haunting continues.”

He gently spun me to face him. “That’s part of dealing with loss.” One of his hands rose, cupping my face. “Over time the pain will lessen and you’ll have only the warm memories.”

“And my betrayal of you and your trust? When does the pain of _that_ go away?”

“Every time I kiss you and afterwards, when you look into my eyes and see how much I care for you, it will lessen. Each time we love each other. Every time we laugh and joke as a couple, that’s what whittles away at your guilt. I’ve forgiven you, Ianto. It’s time to work on forgiving yourself.”

I kissed him, hard, and with so much love I felt like it would choke me. He returned the kiss, his tongue gliding over mine, his touch igniting the flames of lust that were always just a look or a touch away.

“Have I ever told you how much I love your mouth?” He pressed small kisses to my lips then stepped back. I let him go because I had to. Tosh was waiting. Chadwick was waiting. The safety of everyone on this world was always waiting. “Now, tell me about this man. Is he to be trusted? How did he get through on lines that only heads of state should be able to access? Where does his knowledge of mythos and dark beasts come from?”

Knowing that the moment was gone, I took the shirt from Jack, went back to the bag on the bed, and laid it carefully atop my clothes. Yes, I was sure there was significance in the fact that when we travelled, his clothes were always atop mine.

“I’d trust him yes. He’s quite knowledgeable about dark beasts and monsters, especially those related to Greek and Roman mythology. Yvonne had even called him in to consult on a few cases where his particular knowledge was an asset to the investigation.”

“Hmm, okay. That probably explains how he knew where to find you and how to go about doing so. We’ll have Tosh run him through the data banks while we drive out to the lodge. Anything else I need to know about this Chadwick fellow?” Jack zipped the bag and hoisted it to his shoulder.

“He’s quite proficient with a bow and arrow, has terrible taste in clothes, and is incredibly loyal to those he decides to befriend.”

“Lisa had good taste in friends _and_ boyfriends.” He grabbed a quick kiss as he passed. “Do we need to stop by Enid’s before we leave?”

“Yes, we should.” I heard the floor creaking as he left the bedroom, the soft shifting sound of his great coat sliding over his long legs easing a bit of my anxiety over Chadwick and the past. “Rupert probably needs his cat box scooped.”

“Great. Like we don’t deal with enough shit on the job.”

His reply bounced down the hall. It made me smile just a bit despite how miserable facing Lisa’s friend was going to be. Jack did that for me. Made the things that seemed impossible to bear bearable.

 

**To be continued…**


	3. Hunter and Prey - Chapter Three - Welcome to the Fenwick

**Hunter and Prey**

**Chapter Three**

**Welcome to The Fenwick**

**Jack**

(Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.)

The Fenwick Lodge was your quintessential English hunting lodge. Built in eighteen hundred and ten, the private lodge screamed quiet affluence. It sat on several acres of prime hunting lands, lands that once were royal hunting lands but now belonged to Richard Fenwick the eighth. Richard, per Tosh’s digging, was quite the peerage whore and spent his time sucking up – or perhaps off – any personage with regal blood he could latch onto. The lodge itself was stunning. Two stories set back into the forest, built of soft white and tan stone with white window frames and shutters.

“I am not properly dressed,” Ianto mumbled as we parked along the edge of the graveled drive.

I gave him a fast peek. “You’re fine. And you’re fine too,” I tossed into the back after cutting the engine. Tosh muttered as well. “Okay, look. This Fenwick guy is not even a part of the important peerage.”

“He’s the fifth cousin of an elderly baroness,” Tosh and Ianto said in perfect unison.

“So?” I countered, letting my American fly proudly. “I’m the cousin of the Prince of Pittsburgh.”

“Jack, there is no Prince of Pittsburgh,” Ianto countered with proper disdain for my foolishness.

“The point I was making was that Richard Fenwick shakes his cock after he pisses just like the rest of us.”

“I don’t shake my cock after I piss,” Tosh gently reminded.

“I stand corrected. He shakes his cock after he pisses like _two_ out of three of us. Stop worrying about the fact that he’s a minor relation to some baroness. Let’s worry about why he’s not concerned about his guests missing.” I exited the SUV and gave the lodge a good look. The others climbed out of our vehicle just as the front door of the lodge opened. Out stepped a gangly young man, flaming red hair pulled back into a ponytail, the sides of his head shaved to the wood. Ianto was right about his clothes. He dressed like one of Johnny Rotten’s roadies: ripped and pinned t-shirt, Union Jack flag emblazoned across the crotch of his tight black jeans, and floppy leather boots.

“I knew that had to be you, Ianto,” Chadwick Valentine said as he walked to my factotum, his green eyes locked on Mr. Jones.

“Oh?” Ianto replied, his jaw tight.

“Well, who else would pull up in a Range Rover that had ‘Torchwood’ all over it? Not exactly top secret, now is it?” Valentine quickly replied then embraced Ianto. I glanced over at Tosh. She was watching the exchange between Ianto and Chadwick with interest, her laptop clutched to her breasts. “It’s good to see you,” Chadwick said after releasing a visibly stiff Ianto. “Been too long. Lisa would flay us for not keeping in touch.”

“Yes, yes, she would,” Ianto stammered then turned from the wiry man to us. “This is my boss, Captain Jack Harkness, and my fellow agent, Toshiko Sato.”

Tosh inclined her head. I gave Mr. Valentine my hand. “Thanks for calling us. Any chance we can grab a couple rooms? We’ve been up all night.”

“I have three rooms reserved for you.” Chadwick waved us to the large white door.

“We’ll only need two,” I corrected. Valentine glanced over his shoulder at Tosh then threw a knowing look at me. “Ianto and I will be sharing a room.”

Agent Jones made a choking sound from behind us. Chadwick paused, just for a moment, and then picked up his pace, his mouth working silently on something. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so free with the news about sleeping arrangements but I’ve found that being open about having a man in my bed just makes things _so_ much easier. If someone has issue with that, they can go fuck themselves. Jack Harkness does not believe in hiding in closets. Screwing in them, on occasion yes, but hiding in them? No.

“Ah.” That was Valentine’s reply. Nothing just an “Ah” and into the lodge we went. Wealth and leather furnishings greeted us. Lots of leather. And mounts. The heads of dead animals covered every wall. A bison mount hung over a huge roaring fireplace in what must be the main lounge.

“Oh, my God,” Tosh whispered as we climbed a large set of stairs leading to the second floor. “I hope there aren’t any dead animals in my room.”

“A few,” Chadwick replied as we crested the top riser. “I’ll be happy to remove them for you. So, Captain, how about we meet in my bar after you all get some rest? I’ve got some information to pass along that I think you’ll be interested in.”

“That’ll be fine.” I waited for more but Valentine seemed more inclined to lead Tosh to her accomadations after pointing out the room Ianto and I would share. Our man Friday brushed past me, our shared bag hanging off his shoulder, anger rolling off him in waves. I rolled my eyes to the papered ceiling, followed my fuming lover into our room, and closed the heavy door behind me. “You might as well let me have it so we can get the air cleared and go to bed.”

I crossed my arms and braced for the opening salvo.

 

**To be continued…**


	4. Hunter and Prey - Chapter Four - Godly Knowledge

**Hunter and Prey**

**Chapter Four**

**Godly Knowledge**

**Ianto**

(Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.)

 

“Did you have to tell him that you and I are…” I floundered for the right term.

“Lovers? Paramours? Sweethearts? Boyfriends?”

“Yes, all of those. Damn it, Jack, I wanted to ease the man into that knowledge.” I tossed the bag to the large canopy bed then I turned to face him. “Since when do you use the word ‘boyfriend’ in regards to us?”

“I use it all the time, I just don’t make a big deal out of it.” He peeled off his coat and flung it to a leather chair beside a bookcase. I thought to argue his words but didn’t. “And I’m sorry for not beating around the bush about us. Well, no, I’m not sorry.” He wiggled out of his suspenders. “If he’s homophobic then that’s his problem.”

“He’s not homophobic.” Jack looked up from unbuttoning his sleeve. “At least I don’t think he is. The point is that I didn’t want to slap him in the face with the fact that I was involved with someone else.”

“Ianto, it’s been over a year. Did you _really_ think anyone would expect you to not move on with your life?” His snippy attitude was gone now. I found my ire leeching away as well. My ass sank into the mattress and I rubbed my face.

“No, of course not, it’s just…complicated.”

Jack sat down beside me, his shirt now in his hand. I could smell him, those damn pheromones making my thoughts cloudy and lusty.

“Lots of things in life are complicated, but this isn’t.” He rubbed my back. “This is simple. You loved her and you lost her. And now you’re seeing me. If her friend can’t accept that then the problem is his, not yours. Stop letting your guilt gnaw on you. I’ll be happy to chew on you if you’re looking to be nibbled on.”

I snorted into my palms then lowered my hands. Jack looked tempting, as always.

“Maybe after a nap.” He nodded, gave me a short but deep kiss, and then stood up to finish undressing. We climbed into bed just as the sun was tinting the sky pink and purple. Jack wiggled up behind me, his skin warm, and draped his arm around my waist. Sleep came quickly for him. For me it hid behind old memories. After Jack came awake two hours later, we showered, shaved, and went to meet Chadwick at the bar. Tosh, it seemed, had also had sleep issues, for she was seated at the long dark bar as well, talking up Chadwick when we entered the pub area.

“You’re up early,” Jack commented as we sat in tall leather stools.

“Oh, yes, well, I was too wound up to sleep,” Tosh quickly replied, sipping on a steaming cup of coffee. I pointed at the mug in Tosh’s hand then held up two fingers. Chadwick bobbed his head then padded down to the end of the bar and the coffee makers. I glanced over at Tosh. She looked well-rested. Her hair was twisted up attractively and she had changed into a skirt and sweater.

“Here you go. So, I suspect you lot have a few questions for me?” Chadwick placed a mug in front of me and one in front of Jack. Tosh pushed the creamer and sugar bowl to our leader.

“More than a few,” Jack replied. I caught Chadwick studying Jack and then me. He placed both arms on the bar then leaned over it. The few guests that were up were seated at round tables, talking about the day’s hike or hunt as the heads of big cats stared at them. “Tosh ran you through all our banks and you’ve had quite the interesting life.”

“Well, you know, I have a bit of the wanderlust,” Chadwick said with a smile. I remembered that smile well. Lisa always commented on it saying Chadwick could charm the pants off any woman with that smile. Tosh giggled into her coffee. I arched a brow but said nothing. “I spent some time in the states, did some roaming around with a couple blokes who quickly became good friends, and then came home. Set up in a pub in London, met Lisa and this one,” he jerked a thumb at me, “and then felt the call to move on. This job came up and here I am.”

“And here you are.” Jack stirred a spoonful of sugar into his coffee. “Care to tell me more about your time spent with a couple Greek gods stirring up trouble in the states?”

Chadwick shrugged a lean shoulder. “It was what it was. I learned a lot from the sons of war, which is why I know we got us a dark beast roaming the woods. I can feel it, their presence, like the hairs on the back of your neck standing up but they aren’t?”

Jack stirred and stirred. I poured some cream into my coffee then reached for the sugar, my sight touching on Tosh’s. She too seemed to be taking it all in.

“What do you think it is?” Jack enquired.

“That’s the catch, I’m not sure yet, but it’s something with one hell of an appetite. Four guests have up and disappeared but no signs of foul play.” Chadwick whispered, his eyes narrowing. “Of course, Fenwick is no help. Tells me I’m a toy short of a box of Cracker Jack, but I know what I feel. We got something old, hungry, and not of this world out in those woods.”

“Then we had better grab some toast and take a hike,” Jack stated and lifted his cup to his lips.

 

**To be continued…**

 


	5. Hunter and Prey - Chapter Five - Fear

**Hunter and Prey**

**Chapter Five**

**Fear**

**Jack**

(Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.)

 

Hiking. My God, what a boring activity. But, when on a case, it serves its purpose. The woods were cool and damp, the feel of fall clinging to the golden edges of the leaves fluttering on the trees. We’d split up, Ianto with me because he asked it to be that way, and Tosh with our new friend, Chadwick. After four hours meandering along thin little paths we met back by a lane that would take us back to the main lodge.

“Anything?” I asked although I knew the answer. If they’d have found something, Tosh would have called me instantly. All I’d heard from the two of them had been chit-chat, giggles, and a lewd limerick that had made me smile.

“Nothing,” Tosh said, slipping the hyperspectral scanner into the large backpack riding on her shoulders. She’d changed from skirt and blouse to jeans and a thick sweater. “I’ve scanned several hectares and found nothing that would indicate alien technology of any kind.”

“Because it’s not alien, it’s godly.” I threw Chadwick a look. He was leaning a shoulder against the trunk of a tree, his long legs crossed at the ankle, a sleek wooden bow and quiver riding on his shoulder. “But, her gizmos aside, I also got nothing out there. Not even a tickle.”

“That’s quite the interesting archery set,” I commented as we began the walk back to the lodge.

“Oh yeah, you could say it’s interesting.” He glanced back at the bow and quiver as if it were a lover. “Made from Applewood it is. The arrows are silver, created in the fires of Hephaestus’ forge. It belonged to Artemis.” He reached back to pull an arrow from the quiver. The sun glinted off the brilliant silver shaft. “They never miss.”

“Did you say they were forged on Olympus?” Tosh asked, her ponytail bouncing as we climbed a steep green hill. You could hear how incredulous she was.

Chadwick gave her a quirky smile. It lit up his face. Okay, so yes, the kid was cute in a punk rock sort of way. Not my type at all. Seems I like quiet, quirky, emotional office boys with succulent lips.

“What? You run about after men from Mars every day but have trouble with the fact that gods exist?” Valentine asked.

Tosh instantly replied with something about mythology and science. I let them haggle it out. They seemed to enjoy talking about gods, space, cooking, movies, and music. I’d heard enough of the flirtatious banter over the past four hours.

“When can we talk to Fenwick?” I asked after a small giggle erupted out of Ms. Sato. Ianto had been quiet as a field mouse. Tugging what was eating at him would have to wait. I wanted to talk to Richard Fenwick if we could find him, grab a bite to eat, and head back out after dark. All the bad critters come out in the dark as we all know.

“Let me make a few calls. Last I heard he was polishing the slippers of some old Duke in Barkingside.” I gave Valentine a quick nod and we went into the lodge. Dinner was a quiet affair in our room. Ianto seemed deep inside himself.

“Ianto, you need to get your head together before we go out,” I said. He startled slightly then pushed away from the window overlooking the great forest.

“Yes, I know. I’ll have things straight.” We exchanged looks. I could see the turmoil in his eyes but didn’t have time to address it. Seems we’re always short of time. “Do you want me to tend to your gun?” I threw him a lewd look. A weak smile appeared. “Silly question, I take it?”

“I’d love to have you tend to my gun.” I freed my Webley and handed it to him, handle first.

“Maybe I can polish it later?” His gaze never wavered from mine.

“Are you stroking my gun, Ianto?”

“Maybe.”

“Damn this job.” I stepped in, kissed him quickly, and then took my gun back. “When we get back I expect a good polishing.”

“Of course, Sir.” Mm, okay. I liked how he used “Sir” there. Amazing how many varied ways he had of saying one word. “Shall we go then?”

I waved at the door. He grabbed a light jacket from our bag, pulled it on, and slipped his gun into the front pocket. I followed him down and outside because I love looking at his ass cradled in denim. Chadwick and Tosh met us on the lawn.

“We’re going to split up. I’ll go south, Ianto head west, Tosh north, and Chadwick east. This will cover the most ground. I want us all in constant communication. Here.” I dropped one of our Bluetooth earpieces into Valentine’s hand. He slid it over his ear then gave it a light tap. “If anyone should see anything that’s not a species native to Wales, immediately contact me and then protect yourself. That means shoot first.” I looked directly at Tosh. She’d never taken a life on the job, alien or human. “Even if this thing is as cute and cuddly as an Adipose, I do not allow dark beasts or aliens to bounce around my backyard. Are we all clear on that?”

Three heads bobbed. We broke up on the front lawn. Heading south, I walked along a winding path that went deeply into the forest. Along the way, I passed several small lodges. Each one I checked out by rattling the door and peering through the windows with my flashlight. None showed any signs of recent occupation.

“Do all these guest lodges belong to Fenwick?” I asked, pausing in a small glen that had a thin brook babbling through it.

“I believe so,” Chadwick replied in my ear as I checked out the clearing. A small branch snapped to my left. I spun around, pistol resting on my wrist, eyes straining to see in the murky darkness. A lone beam of white moon light captured the beast when it stepped out of the woods. I blinked to ensure that what I was seeing was what I was seeing. The monster appeared to have the maned neck of a lion, the body of a stag complete with cloven hooves, and the face of a lizard with a wide mouth and lolling tongue. It certainly looked like a Grecian beast.

“I think I have our creature in our sights,” I whispered, relaying the mish-mosh monster’s appearance to our resident expert in all things Greek.

“Shit, that sounds like a _Leukrokottas_ , a beast of burden for Hecate,” Valentine replied. “I’m on my way. Don’t shoot it. If you do it will only twist its nips. Mythological beasts can only be felled by silver weapons created by the gods. Steel weapons are useless.”

“Jack?” Ianto’s worried voice entered my ear.

I shifted slightly to place my arm against a tree. A tiny breeze blew up and over the back of my neck. The _Leukrokottas_ whipped around and blew my scent out of its nostrils. It looked at me with eyes that held all the torturous pain of the underworld. Red flames leaped in its empty sockets. Fear like I had never known slammed into me, sending me to my knees, screaming and covering my head. The monster slipped back into the night. I shouted for help, got to my feet, and ran, blindly, positive the beast was now hunting me. Then, I heard it…my mother’s voice. I stopped running, turned toward the sound, and called out to her.

“Mom?”

“I’m here,” the feminine voice replied. Lungs burning, I took a step in the direction of her sweet voice. My mother would keep me safe. She’d keep the monster at bay. Mom would never let me be hunted.

“Mom, Mom, please come out. I’m so scared,” I cried, tears wetting my cheeks.

“Just a little further, my child…”

My gun slipped from my fingers. That was okay. I didn’t need it now. Mom would protect me.

“Mom?” My call bounced off the thick copse of trees, confusing me, turning me around. Dead leaves crackled behind me. I swiped at the tears on my face, smiled, and started to turn toward my mother. Something hard smashed into the back of my head. The woods and my mother’s voice disappeared into the darkness.

 

**To be continued…**

 


	6. Hunter and Prey - Chapter Six - Three Faces of Fear

**Hunter and Prey**

**Chapter Six**

**Three Faces of Fear**

**Ianto**

(Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.)

 

I ran through the woods, screaming his name, terror rushing through me with each pump of my heart. His screams. My God…

“ _Jack!_ ”

Tree branches slapped me in the face. Twice I bounced off the trunk of a tree, the impact jarring me so soundly I had to work to breath. Yet I ran on, the beam of my torch bounding up and down with each stride.

_“Jack!”_ I bellowed, skidding around a fat tree, my shoes sliding in the leafy ground covering. “Tosh, where is he?”

“I’m trying to track him on the handheld GPS. Let me zero in on his commlink signal.” Her voice was jerky from running and talking.

Something burst out of the woods right beside me. I pulled my gun and torch up simultaneously. Chadwick threw up his hands.

“It’s me,” he panted, eyes wide. I lowered the gun but kept the torch on his face. “Any sign of him?”

“No, nothing.” I lowered the light from his face and scanned the area where we stood.

“Ianto, I have him!” Tosh called. “Forty meters west.”

I didn’t stop to see if Valentine followed me. I ran like Jack’s life depended on it. We burst into a small clearing and splashed through a happy little steam. Shoes and pant legs soaked, I sprinted on, my mind whirling. I’d been around Jack Harkness for some time now and had never heard such fear in his voice before. The man was virtually fearless. He was dashing and brave and so fucking handsome that it made me ache. What had terrified him so?

“Shit, hold on. I just kicked something metallic,” Chadwick called from behind. Stopping grated on me but I did. Valentine bent down and picked up whatever he had dropped. I shined my torch at the item dangling off his finger. It was Jack’s Webley revolver. “It’s led him off.”

“What led him off? How?” My throat was closing from fear. It felt hard to draw a breath. “ _What led him off?”_

“The _Leukrokottas_. That’s what it does. It lures people into the woods, like a siren, and then it devours its prey.” His long face was tight. I spun in a circle, my heart trying to beat its way out of my chest. “The tables are turned as they say. We’re all prey now.”

“Toshiko, which way?” I took Jack’s gun from Chadwick, shoved it into the waistband of my jeans, and began jogging in the direction we had been moving.

“I’m almost caught up.” Her voice was harsh and winded. “Keep going straight.”

“We should wait for her.” I kept walking, my thoughts on Jack and only Jack. “Ianto, we should wait for her.” Valentine grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him. I trained my gun and torch right on that long nose of his. His gaze grew soft. “I know you’re scared for your boss, but we should wait for Tosh. She’s a little helpless bird out there all alone.”

“I’m not a helpless little bird!” Ms. Sato snapped and stepped from the trees, her light moving over us. “I’m fully capable of taking care of myself, thank you, Mr. Valentine.”

I lowered my gun. “I’m sorry.” Chadwick nodded at me. “I can’t lose him.”

“Ianto, we won’t lose him.” Tosh gently reminded me, her hand tenderly touching my shaking forearm. “You know we can’t.”

“Yes, right, of course.” I knew that. Yet…

“His commlink is still active.” She held up the flashing GPS tracking device. It softly beeped out four differing tones, one for each Torchwood agent in the field. Well, three agents and one monster hunter. “Follow me.” She gave Chadwick a glower when he spoke up about taking the lead.

“No, don’t get feminist about this. I should be in front. If we kick up the beast, your weapons will be useless.” He pulled out a silver arrow, nocked it, and then stepped around Tosh and I, his weapon readied for battle. I nudged Toshiko to go next. I’d bring up the rear as much as I wanted to be in the lead. “Move silently. Its vision is shite but it can pick up a scent from meters away.” He paused and looked back at us. “If you hear the voice of your mum, granny, girlfriend, wife, or any other important women in your life, ignore it. It’s the monster luring you to it.”

I thought of my sister. We moved onward, the only sound the steady blips of Tosh’s GPS locked onto Jack’s signal. Valentine stopped after ten minutes of painfully slow progress. Ten meters ahead of him was another small hunting lodge. And pacing outside the lodge was the _Leukrokottas_. Chadwick lifted his bow. The wind shifted. The beast’s head snapped up.

“Don’t look into its eyes,” he said while pulling back the bowstring. “If you do it will fill you with all the fear Hades’ realm holds.”

“I almost looked!” Tosh squeaked. The monster snorted. Chadwick inhaled, exhaled, and released the arrow. It was gone in a streak of silver, the moon seeming to explode off the shaft to cover the lodge and us with soothing silver light. The arrow struck true, piercing the monster’s massive chest. The beast roared in pain, dark black blood pouring out of the two wounds. It took but a second for it to crumple to the forest floor and turn into a bubbling puddle of ebony goo. The ground seemed to drink the mess up. Chadwick gave the Applewood bow a kiss.

“Back to the realm that spawned it,” he explained over his shoulder. “My next worry is why a beast that serves Hecate is here to begin with. Someone has been summoning gods, I wager.”

“Can you do that? Summon a god?” Tosh asked. I broke off from them to rattle the knob on the door. It turned with ease. I pushed the door open. The hinges never made a sound. Obviously, this lodge had been used and maintained. But why? And by whom?

“If you know the proper incantations. Anyone else getting an ‘Ash VS Evil Dead’ vibe? No? Only me? Oh, come on, I’m not the only one here who watches that show. Am I?”

“We don’t have time for much TV,” Toshiko explained then hurried over to back me up. Chadwick followed her, his big boots flopping around his feet. How he moved so quickly in them was a mystery for the ages.

I stepped into a small, dusty room. Using the torch, I touched on all four walls quickly. “Rather spartan,” I commented after seeing only a table, chair, and a single bed.

“That reminds me, I need to ring Phobos and Deimos soon.” Chadwick’s comment settled on the wooden walls like another layer of dust.

“He’s right below us,” Tosh whispered, the tracker bleeping almost steadily, bright blue lights flashing. I gave the other two a confused look. Chadwick used his bow to point out a trap door in the floor.

“This is definitely the BBC version of Ash,” the gangly man mumbled then went over to yank the trap door open. A soft red glow from under the cabin pulsed out of the opening. Eerie chanting rose from the basement. “Right then, that’s someone calling forth Hecate. We might want to get down there and stop it before that knob brings back the goddess of witchcraft, magic, and necromancy to walk among us. She and I aren’t really what you’d call friends. Bad blood from a previous encounter. You know how it goes.”

“I take the lead this time.” Neither one of them argued which was good because I was not going to be stopped from getting to Jack. The first step down creaked under me. The chanting continued. The smell of rotting meat hit me in the face. I heard Tosh gag. Sneaking was tossed aside. I ran down the wooden stairs, gun high, and gaped at the scene spread out before me.

Some rail-thin man with a bald head stood over Jack who was lying on an oddly grooved slab of granite, nude, his skin a sickly pallid color. His wrists had been sliced open and his blood allowed to run free, filling the grooves of the stone tabletop. Behind the chanting man flickered the image of a woman with three faces and three breasts. Her empty eyes sockets held the flames of the underworld just as her minions had. Behind her lay the bodies of the guests that had gone missing. The stench of decay filled my nose and mouth.

“Fenwick,” Chadwick announced over the Greek rolling out of the older man. “You need to stop this!”

I trained the sight of my gun on Fenwick’s forehead.

“Stop it, why?” Fenwick asked, his eyes maniacal. “I thought it would take several more offerings to yield enough life force to summon my mistress, but this one…” he waved blood-covered hands at Jack, “…this one has magical blood! Once I complete the incantation Hecate and I will rise to power and I’ll never have to suck the dick of some old baron for cash ever again!”

“Stop or I’ll shoot,” Tosh yelled. The chanter ignored the warning and returned to invoking. My gaze roamed over Jack, lying there, drained of most of his blood, his chest still, his beautiful blue eyes wide open yet unseeing. “I mean it!”

“No, she doesn’t, but I do.” I blew the back of Richard Fenwick’s head off. A silver arrow flew past me as I lunged for Jack. The blades sliced off some hair from the back of my head before it embedded itself into the dirt wall to my right. Hecate screamed in pain and frustration, Chadwick’s name the only bit of her tirade that I understood. The goddess dissipated into a fine black mist that swirled around our faces then escaped through the trap door.

“Christ, you lot don’t fuck around,” Chadwick murmured.

“No one hurts Jack.” I rushed to the table and gently lifted his head from the cold stone. “I’m here now, it’ll be okay. You come can come back to us now,” I whispered to the man lying lifelessly in my arms.

Tosh stood beside the table after covering Jack from the waist down with his great coat. I kept talking to him, touching him, stroking his hair.

“Ianto, mate, you need to stop.” I looked up from Jack’s pale face to Chadwick. “He’s gone.”

“He’ll be back,” I told him.

“No, he won’t. He’s gone. He’s got no pulse.”

“He’ll come back, he will. Don’t touch him!”

“No, he won’t.” Why was he arguing with me? He had no clue how truly amazing Jack Harkness was.  “Like Lisa, okay, he’s gone and he’s not ever coming back. I’m so sorry. I could see how much you two loved each other. I’m glad you had him, even for a short while.”

“You’re not upset by the fact that I fell in love with a man just a year after losing her?”

“Gods, no. Lisa wouldn’t have wanted you to mourn her forever. And the fact that he’s a bloke? I could care less. Hell, I’d pay money to run my tongue over Zachary Quinto.”

“Me too.” That confession just sort of fell out.

“Right, so let me take him. I promise I’ll treat him…”

That was when Jack returned to us. Gasping, coughing, flailing, wound in confusion, he returned. Chadwick’s jaw hit his chest.

“I told you he’d be back. “I cradled Jack to my chest.

“Mom? No, Ianto. Where’s my mother? I’m scared.” Jack began to tremble. I pressed a kiss to his bloody hair and held him close. “Hold me, Ianto. I’m scared.”

“How long will he be like this?” I enquired of Valentine. Tosh picked up Jack’s hand. Jack tried to curl into a ball, his large body quaking with fear.

“Most folks are mentally scarred for life. With him? Who knows.” Chadwick stared openly at Jack, his quick mind chewing over the miracle he had just witnessed by the looks. “His constitution may shake it off. Then again, he might never be right. I wish I could tell you but I just don’t know. He’s a unique one, he is.”

The man had no idea.

“Let’s get him to the lodge and clean him up.” I slid my arms around my lover. Jack clung to me like a frightened child. A long night lay ahead.

 

 

**To be continued…**


	7. Hunter and Prey - Chapter 7 - Loving Arms

**Hunter and Prey**

**Chapter Seven**

**Loving Arms**

**Jack**

(Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.)

 

 

“Gray! Where are you?!” I raced along the shores of the Boeshane Peninsula, screaming my brother’s name. Explosions shook the sand.

“Jack, stop, it’s okay. You’re safe.” His voice sliced through the fear and dread. I came awake with a jolt, pushing and railing against the nightmares and covers. “Jack, stop, please. It’s me, Ianto.” A cool hand came to rest on my bare chest. My gaze touched on a hundred things at once. Dark wood walls, oil paintings of hunting dogs, leather furniture, a leaping fire in an old fireplace, worried blue eyes. “Yes, that’s right. You’re safe now. Look, see, we’re in the lodge.”

“Where’s the monster?” I asked, my voice raspy and alien to my ears. Had I been screaming? Where was the monster? Had it followed us? Where was it?

“It’s dead.” He was so calm, so in control, his fingertips resting over my wildly beating heart. “It’s dead and the man who did this is dead as well.”

I wanted to believe him, thought I should. I could trust Ianto. Right? “I’m so scared.” It fell out of me as I collapsed into him. His arms went around my shoulders and held me close. I dug and clawed at his shirt, trying to get closer, safer. A loud crack pulled a shout of terror from me.

“Jack, it was a log in the fireplace.”

“No, no, it was the monster. I heard it. In the woods, cracking twigs. Its eyes… Where’s Gray? My father? What happened to those men? Why did they set me on fire? Ianto.” I shook him violently. He peeled my fingers from his biceps. “Please, make the fear stop.”

“Okay, I will. Just let me go for a moment.” He slid his fingers into my sweaty hair, gripped my head and forced me to look into his mournful eyes. “You. Are. Safe. Here. I just need to get to your coat. Understand?”

“Yes, yes, hurry please, before it comes back.” I scuttled away from him, moving in reverse until my back hit the heavy headboard. There I sat, panting like a hound, stomach cramped, arms around my legs, gaze riveted on Ianto as he picked through the pockets of my great coat.

“Here.” He held out a small pill. “This will make the fear go away.”

I studied it warily. “Is it RetCon?”

“Yes. Jack, we’ve been at this for over a day now.” He pleaded. I swallowed harshly. Now that I saw him with a touch of mental clarity he did look exhausted. And bruised. Had I done that? Had I hit him?

“I’m so sorry.” I touched his busted cheek with trembling fingers. He winced slightly then grasped my hand and pressed the amnesia pill into my palm.

“It’s okay, it was an accident. Please, take this. Please. I can’t watch you do this anymore, Jack. It’s breaking my heart.”

“I love you, Ianto,” I said because he was so distraught and so pained and I was so scared. His eyes closed as if he were in agony. I’d been breaking his heart…

He laughed, a small choked bark of a laugh, then he opened his eyes. They were even more pained now. “I’ve been waiting forever to hear you say that, but not like this.”

“But I do. I _do_ love you.” I had to make him understand.

“Stop. I refuse to listen to you saying that because some monster’s powers have warped you. Do _not_ say that to me again until you’re of sound mind. Now swallow that damn pill.” He stood up quickly and pushed the hand with the RetCon tablet up toward my face.

“I hurt you.” I tossed the tablet into my mouth. He handed me a glass of cool water. The fire made the room overly warm. I was cold inside. Scared. Needy.

“It’s not the first time nor will it be the last.” His reply was soft-spoken. “Love hurts, to quote that old Nazareth song. Now lay back and rest.” He helped me get situated among the pillows and soft sheets.

“Stay here, please.” I rubbed the bed. He nodded and climbed into the bed, still wearing the same clothes he had worn into the forest. The wind rattled an old window. I twitched and buried my face into his neck.

“Close your eyes, let sleep and forgetfulness take all of this away.”

“You’ll be here when I wake up?”

“Right here, holding you and keeping you safe.”

I wanted to tell him that I loved him, but he had told me not to until…something. What had he said? I yawned. He wiggled around a bit, his hand resting on my head, his breath fanning my scalp. Sleep found me safely wrapped in loving arms.

****

And that was where I was when I woke up many hours later. His body and scent were as familiar as my own. Eyes closed, I ran a hand over his stomach, and then pushed up slowly, my head feeling like it was full of cotton batting. Ianto made a small sound that pulled my bleary sight from the painting of a horse and dog over the mantle.

“How do you feel?” he asked, his words slurred with sleep.

“Confused,” I confessed. He sat up, his shirt falling open to bare his chest. I openly admired the beefcake. “Horny.”

“Right, well, you’re back to being the Jack we all know and love.” A yawn hit him. I yawned as well then slipped out of the bed, my bare feet sinking into luxury carpeting. “What do you remember?”

I turned to look at him removing his shirt then rolling his head to work out the kinks. “Meeting up with Valentine on the front lawn. Did we get it?”

He looked at me with concern. “Yes, yes, we got the monster.” His gaze lowered to the floor, his shirt gripped tightly in his hand. “I shot Fenwick. In the head. He had killed you.”

I walked to him and hugged him, just as he had done for me a time or two after I’d come back from the dead.

“Thank you,” I whispered beside his ear. He pressed a kiss to my neck.

“It was not my finest moment. I wonder if I should even carry a firearm. There’s this dark side of me, Jack. It terrifies me.”

“Ianto, the man was a murderer, right?”

“Yes, five times a killer, and for what?”

“I really don’t have a clue.” That comment brought his nose out of my neck. We looked at each other for a good ten seconds. “Seriously, for what? What was his motive? Did you clean up things? Where are my pants? And, perhaps most importantly, how would you feel about giving me a full body rub down?”

“Are you injured?” His eyes instantly filled with worry.

“I’m a little stiff in a few places.” His reply was such a dark look that I had to smile.

“It’s good to have that smile back. Do you remember anything from the past twenty-four hours?”

“Not a damn thing. Did I say something embarrassing?”

“No, nothing at all.” He stole a soft kiss and then, sadly, filled me in on past events instead of working out the stiff places.

 


	8. Hunter and Prey - Chapter Eight - Closure

**Hunter and Prey**

**Chapter Eight**

**Closure**

**Ianto**

(Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.)

 

Jack never did get his stiffness attended to. There had been a hundred things to take care of after he had been brought up to date. Sleep seemed like a pleasant memory at this point, but we had stepped into this mess, and so it was up to us to tidy things up. Local police had been filled in with what they needed to know. Fenwick family members were now converging on the lodge, the gleam of riches in their eyes. I wished the lot well. I’d sooner sleep in a holding cell with a Weevil than on the grounds where four innocent people had been murdered. Spirits grow restless. Ghosts do exist. This I know firsthand, it’s not just my superstitious Welsh upbringing talking. The things we see in Torchwood…

Jack had taken over, as was proper, as soon as he had gotten a shower and a bite to eat. He was now spinning gloss over the situation. I was seated at the bar, sipping on surprisingly good coffee waiting for Tosh to join us so we could leave. Chadwick slipped into the room, his lean frame wiggling behind the bar with ease. Our sights met. He came over, his outfit brash and loud and his Mohawk lying over the left side of his head. He’d taken the time to put the twin rings back in his right eyebrow. I took a sniff when he dropped his elbows to bar.

“You smell like Tosh’s perfume,” I pointed out then took a polite sip of my coffee. I lowered my mug to speak. “Did you and she hook up?”

“Well, now, a true gentleman never shags and tells.”

“Dear God, you did hook up.” Truly this wasn’t surprising. Tosh did enjoy younger men and Chadwick had always had a weakness for older women.

“Think what you will,” he said with a seriously smug smile. “I ran into your boss outside. Looks like he’s back to form. Care to tell me about how he got all that immortal stuff working for him?”

“It’s not my story to tell.” Actually, I had no idea how Jack had gained his Lazarus ability. Just another secret stored away in the Harkness vault. Damn thing must be near to bursting.

“Fair enough. How about you tell me if he treats you well.”

“And you’d care why?”

“Because we’re friends, Ianto.” His green eyes glowed with sincerity. “You seem to think I’m going to hate you for moving on, but I don’t. I’d be a right fuck if I did that. You’re a good man, you deserve some happiness. I think Lisa would have liked him.”

“All the women like Jack, the men too.” I spoke into my mug. Chadwick chuckled then cuffed me on the arm. I placed my mug to a coaster on the bar. “Thank you for that. For accepting how my life has gone since we lost Lisa. It’s been hard. For a long time, the grief of losing her was unbearable.” Jack’s boisterous voice rolled into the bar a full thirty seconds before he did. Police trailed after him, trying to wiggle around his words. They never could because he was Jack, but bless them they all did try. “And then I found him. Or he found me. Perhaps we found each other.”

“Well, whatever it was that brought you two together it works. You fit, you know? Lisa’s got to be happy about that.”

“I hope she is.”

Jack bellied up to the bar having given the police all the information they would ever get. They stalked off like children denied a later bedtime. He gave Chadwick a once over then gently took my coffee mug out of my hand. He took a sip, sighed in pleasure, and then leveled his attention on the barkeep.

“Rumor has it that they’re going to sell Fenwick Lodge to some American rock star with a passion for big guns and blowing the shit out of little animals,” Jack announced, his fingers brushing mine when he gave me my coffee back.

“Guess I’ll be looking for a new job,” Chadwick stated.

“You know, there’s a new pub opening up on Cardiff Bay in a week or so. It’s going to be called ‘The Salty Seaman',” I explained. Jack leaped on that comment like a hyena on a wounded gazelle.

“Wait, _what?_ ” I nodded. He roared with laughter. “Oh, we are _so_ drinking there from now on,” he chortled, his smile brilliant.

“You sure about that, Ianto?” Chadwick cautiously enquired. I bobbed my head. He smiled then slapped my arm once more. “I _could_ use a taste of the city life after being out here in the woods for so long. I’ll check it out.”

“I do have one question for you,” Jack said to Chadwick. “Why in the world would Fenwick have been trying to call forth Hecate? A goddess of necromancy wouldn’t be the goddess _I’d_ summon from Olympus.”

“Usual reasons I wager,” Chadwick replied, tossing his hair from his eyes. “Power, greed, shit like that. Hecate would make a powerful ally for a mortal with delusions of grandeur. He’s not the first arse to call up a god to aid them in gaining power and glory. No wonder he brushed me off when I’d speak up about the guests not coming back for their things.”

“Hmm, so this kind of thing happens frequently?” Jack asked and took a long pull of my coffee.

Chadwick nodded. “Often enough to keep me well fitted in rocking clothes and fine footwear.”

“Wait, so you freelance?” I interjected and got a brisk nod from Valentine. “Could be handy to have a resident expert on dark beasts and mythology on speed dial.” I looked from Chadwick to Jack. He nodded once.

“Make it so,” Jack said in a passable Captain Picard.

Tosh raced into the bar, her hair still wet, her sweater unbuttoned to a dangerous level and hanging off her shoulder, and one shoe in her hand. Her gaze went to Chadwick right off. Judging by how red her cheeks got and the small little mark on her neck, I’d say we had confirmation that our computer genius had indeed been shagged by the mythology expert/bar keep.

“Why don’t we go walk the grounds, Ianto?” Jack offered, gave Chadwick what I would term a fatherly look that said “Hurt her and you’ll deal with me’, and strolled off, his coat slapping around his legs.

“See you in Cardiff,” I told Chadwick as I slid off my stool. I offered him my hand and he took it without delay. I gave Tosh a wink as I passed then hustled off to find Jack waiting for me on the lush green lawn.

“Walk with me.” Jack took off, his stride long and sure. We strolled around the lodge in companionable silence. When we passed by an old bench amid what would be a spectacular flower garden in the summer, he stopped and turned to face me. “Are you sure we’re okay? Every time I look at you I feel as if I’ve wounded you in some unknown way.”

“We’re fine.” My answer wasn’t a lie, nor was it totally the truth. The memory of hearing him say he loved me was like a dull, aching molar. I should stop thinking on it because his declaration had been made under extreme duress, yet, I had to keep running my tongue over the damn throbbing thing. He gave me a perfected side eye, folded his arms over his chest, and placed his boots widely apart. Great. He had planted himself like an aspen tree. We’d be going nowhere for a while. “It’s been stressful seeing Chadwick. But we’re fine now and all is fine.”

“You’re using the word ‘fine’ quite a lot.”

“Well, it’s a lovely word and should be used as often as possible.”

He drew in a breath. “You know what I think?” I shook my head. A cloud moved by overhead, throwing us into shadow for the briefest of moments. “I think that when I was out of my head I said something that cut you to the quick. If that’s the case, I really wish you’d tell me so I can make amends in some small way.”

“It was nothing cutting, Jack, truly. I’d be more comfortable if we would simply forget about it.” I shoved my hands into my pockets.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Everything’s fine. I mean good. Everything’s good.”

He threw me a look. “Can I kiss you?”

“God yes, anytime.”

And so, he did. There in the dead flower garden. And when we parted he held my chin with two fingers. It felt like the perfect moment for confessions of a loving nature. Perhaps it would have been if not for my damn mobile chirruping in my jacket pocket. I knew the ringtone and let it go, hoping he would tell me what he was thinking as the fall winds whirled around us.

“You plan on answering that?” He stepped back. The wind played with his hair.

“It’s my sister.” I let it go to voicemail. Jack’s sharp glance hit me like a left hook. “She’s desperate to do dinner.”

“So do dinner.”

“She wants dinner with both of us.” His eyes flared a bit. “I’m not anywhere near ready for that.” He let it go but I could tell he had more he wished to say.

“Okay. It’s your call. Let’s go round up Toshiko and head home.” We set off for the lodge to gather up the giddy Ms. Sato, the perfect moment gone.

 

 

**The End**

**Friday 1/13 will see a new one-shot and then on Monday 1/16 we’ll kick of a longer tale called “Table for Four”. Thank you so much for reading along.**

**Yours in fiction—**

**Feral**

 

 


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